Everton have banned The Sun from all club premises following the controversy surrounding comments made regarding Ross Barkley .

Reporters from the publication, which has been reviled on Merseyside since their coverage of the Hillsborough disaster in 1989, will be now not be allowed to cover matches at Goodison Park or attend press conference at Finch Farm, report the Liverpool Echo .

In a statement, the club said: "Yesterday Everton Football Club informed The Sun newspaper it was banned from Goodison Park, the USM Finch Farm training ground and all areas of the Club's operation.

" Whilst we will not dignify any journalist with a response to appalling and indefensible allegations, the newspaper has to know that any attack on this City, either against a much respected community or individual, is not acceptable."

Pressure had been growing on Everton to act in recent days, following a column published in The Sun by its former editor Kelvin Mackenzie yesterday.

Mr Mackenzie - who signed off the infamous 'The Truth' front page following the 1989 tragedy in which 96 Liverpool fans died - made more slurs against the city in his latest article and has been accused of a racial hate crime for comments likening Ross Barkley to a gorilla.

Mayor Joe Anderson, a lifelong Everton fan, pointed out that Barkley has a Nigerian grandfather and reported Mr Mackenzie to Merseyside Police which has now started an investigation into the article.

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He then called on fans to protest the club's inaction during today's match against Burnley - which will mark the anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster - by turning their backs in the sixth minute to "send a clear message" that The Sun is not welcome.

But that protest will no longer be needed after Everton announced the newspaper is now banned.

Mayor Anderson, who has been lobbying Everton chairman Bill Kenwright and chief executive Robert Elstone to make the move, said he was pleased the decision has been taken.

He said: "I am just leased that they have listened to my plea and the plea of the vast majority of fans who wanted this to happen.

"This sends a firm signal out to the media that in Liverpool, if you attack one of us, you attack all of us.

"We stand by the Hillsborough families and we stand by Ross Barkley and the people of Liverpool who have all been attacked by this newspaper.

"Enough is enough and this is the right decision."

As well as comparing Barkley to an ape and a gorilla, Mr Mackenzie's column suggested that the only people who could earn similar amounts to footballers in Liverpool are drug dealers.

It added that “local hangouts” like city centre bar Santa Chupito - where Barkley was this week assaulted - are full of customers who have “only just broken through the £7.50-an-hour barrier.”

A spokesman for News UK, the company which owns The Sun said: "

A News UK spokesman said: "The Sun's columnist Kelvin MacKenzie has been suspended from the paper with immediate effect.

"The views expressed by Kelvin Mackenzie about the people of Liverpool were wrong, unfunny and are not the view of the paper.

"The Sun apologises for the offence caused.

"The paper was unaware of Ross Barkley's heritage and there was never any slur intended.

"Mr Mackenzie is currently on holiday and the matter will be fully investigated on his return."